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Thanks all to everyone that followed along and for all the nice comments and encouragement along the way to keep me going. Made it worthwhile to do this. I will wrap this all up once I am back in my own safe crowd-free bubble at home, I promise ?

Today was incredibly busy and I am beat. Will give a very brief overview Walked off with self assist at 7:15 with the Suites Concierge. Without a doubt the best disembarkation ever, including Star Class. Dan and I were #3 an 4 off the ship. Basically never even slowed down. Walked straight off. First disappointment - no National Rental car shuttle but in fairness, it was 7:15. I suspect they showed up later. We grudgingly paid $8 ea for a shared shuttle to the airport where we got our ride for the day from Tampa to Miami. Total cost - $17.09 b/c I wanted XM radio. Great deal (used points). We did 2 real estate recons and neither really suits our needs. Honestly, The only thing that is going to make Dan happy is a high rise condo in downtown Miami that overlooks the port. That’s all.... After leaving our second stop (Lakewood Ranch), we began the very long and very boring drive to Miami. I thought it would never end ! Finally pulled into Miami airport to return the rental car a bit after 6 PM. Called for an Uber to pick us up but he never found us and cancelled the trip on us. Very annoyed ! Ended up taking a taxi from MIA to the Marriott Biscayne Bay. It didn’t cost much more than Uber would have been but it was still annoying. Is there a way to rate an Uber driver if you don’t actually complete the ride ? We hadn’t had anything to eat since b’fast at Chops at 6:30 so we were famished. The slop they were offering in the Concierge Club was utterly unappealing so we went down to the restaurant downstairs. I had forgotten (until I looked at the menu) how awful the food was the last time we ate there....but I was out of options so I ordered a quesadilla. Ugh. 2 bites and I was done. The truth is when I am very tired I just can’t eat so I don’t think I would have enjoyed it even if it had been appetizing. Dan gobbled down his poke bowl. Can’t wait to board Oasis in the morning. We anticipate calling an Uber at 10:00AM. Sorry you are having to disembark, Ashley. I enjoyed your blog so much ! Night, all.

So we’re finally here ! Yeah ! Embarkation was awesome. Only epic fail was in getting the taxi driver to drop us at the right place. We are 1 for 5 on this issue. Not sure why we have such a hard time getting to the SC banner (so far only successful at Port Liberty) but we schlepped our bags down to the purple banner and made contact with the SC kiosk. Of course, we had to fight off numerous porters trying to take our bags but we trekked forward until we reached our destination. Then we had to fight off the SC greeter who also insisted that we surrender our bags but our will was great and our mission clear-our bags are staying WITH US ! So once we cleared the greeting area our next challenge was Security. Dan wasn’t particularly pleased when he realized he was going to have to pick up all of the bags and place them on the security conveyor himself (the price you pay for keeping your bags WITH YOU.). I thought I had captured the bags going through the scanner but I guess I didn’t. They did, however, all make it through successfully and our next stop was up the elevator to the Suites waiting area. That luggage cart would become very important in about 5 minutes. The moment we walked into the Suites waiting area, they announced that boarding was beginning. We had to wait for Joyce, but it was no more than 5 minutes and I spotted her. We met and she summoned a ship’s porter to help us with our bags. So for those who wondered how it works (to keep your bags with you rather than having the porters bring them), here it is in action They loaded up the luggage cart and on we went, straight through boarding to our suite (Grand Panoramic Suite 1758). There are no stairs on this suite so I had the porter just drop the bags inside but if we had been in a Loft suite, I would have asked him to take them upstairs. I really, really like Joyce. She is funny and has an infectious smile. Look what she did for us before we even got to our room ! It is on our Suite door. Dan claims he never wants to leave the suite. It is, in fact, the nicest room we’ve ever had.

Diet? What diet? I will have to say this round at Playmakers is the hottest food I've had on the ship this entire cruise.

Also blew the budget on lobster in Windjammer ?? shh..he's sleeping

Next is a suite recon. Sabrina, it is my unprofessional opinion that the only thing that has been refreshed in this suite is the mattress and MAYBE the carpeting. I know for sure the drapes are not new. There’s a possibility the couch/sleeper bed might be new. Dressing table (and bathtub reflection) in MBR Closets next to dressing table Same closets, open Closets/ drawers on the other side of the dressing table Opened One more set of closets Inside Star Class laundry bag. Sorry it’s upside down ! This is one of the great under-advertised joys of SC. You can send your laundry out every day ! I already have 2 bags full from Brilliance even though I sent our out once on Brilliance Ginormous bathtub His and hers sinks Each sink area has its own outlets for electric razors. Wish they gave power outlets the same priority ! Beautiful walk-in shower Door to the potty Potty and bidet ! Yippee !! Coming down from the bathroom into the bedroom You can see that the privacy shades are up. They come up from the bottom and this is as far up as they go. When we got to the suite it was as hot as h, e, double hockey sticks in here. I think they like to “present” the suite with all the drapes open but that heats up the room like a broiler. First thing I did was close every drape and shade and turn the AC down to “quick freeze”. Outlet situation on both sides of the bed. Still wholly inadequate. That’s it for the bedroom/bathroom areas. It’s almost muster drill time so I will come back later with the Living room area

More lowdown on refurbishments. Joyce is so wonderful. I’m in love with her already. She assured me that the drapes ARE new. She said that all carpeting on the ship was replaced. Sabrina, JUST for you ! Joyce is going to take pix in 8330 for us. This is one of the suites she is Genie for, this cruise. In case anyone was wondering, there is a LOT of bleed over noise from the sail away deck party into our suite. It’s WAAAY louder than anything in the ATS...even with the doors closed and locked. It’s early so not a problem right now. Later, it would be a definite problem.

Well done and you've saved me from having to do one. However I am serious when I say... get off my ship! We are all waiting to board!

These bears were in the car on the Promenade on day one and then disappeared. They've been showing up all over the ship. Some folks we befriended on this cruise said they found them on the carousel..and the sailing's Facebook group also found them as well. Love these little touches!

Watching my college football team lose badly is made better with using my BOGO Diamond offer.

Overall Reflections: Favorite hangout spots: - North star bar in nice weather -270 Lounge -Schooner bar with piano music (loved show with "We will rock you and The gift singers") -Music hall when band was playing Loved Cococay (This was the longest that I have stayed out at a private island. Chairs/umbrellas were everywhere and nice. We were lucky on Thanksgiving that Anthem was the only ship in port. Loved the pool party with music in the afternoon at the swim up bar. Loved the chicken sandwich and mozarella sticks from the snack shack, and the drinks & music at captain jack's They moved the taste of royal to day 8. We ended up cancelling this, but I would like to try in future when we don't have a drink package (it comes with a special wonderland drink). Another interesesting thing on Anthem is that Wonderland did not have it's own bar, so to order the wonderland cocktails, you have to order them at the 270 bar, Wonderland uses the schooner bar for their drinks.

They found us a plane! We will be boarding soon. Not really too bad of a wait. It took me less than 5 minutes from curb to the end of security, and the TSA agent was keen on my shirt.

Today is debarkation day and we are sitting in the aiport until our 2 pm flight ( hoping the weather will not delay us back to Cincinnati. :). I thought I would catch up on the blog. Debarkation was super easy. We always carry off our own luggage so that we can pack some last minute items in the am. We slept in until around 7:30 and then headed to the windjammer around 8 for 1 last breakfast. The windjammer is always crowed at that time on debarkation day, but we easily found a spot with a great view of the NYC skyline. Overall, we thought the windjammer on anthem was a lot easier to find a table than on other ships. We do realize the crowd was different this week. There was a record number of children on board for the holiday week, but it felt more compartmentalized with their activities in the Seaplex etc. compared to the Oasis thanksgiving cruise last year. The last 2 seadays sailing back have been cold. Yesterday morning the boat was very rocky, and I actually felt really sea sick which is unusual for me. I think it was heightened by the fact that I was pretty hung over from staying up late for the Quest. ? . We attempted to grab some breakfast in the solarium bistro which was only 1 deck up from our forward balcony cabin on deck 13. I found this location very convenient to the north star bar, gym, and solarium. Often we would go out the forward door on deck 13 which exits into the bottom of the solarium in the very front of the ship. I forced myself to do the elliptical yesterday before lunch, and I did feel much better. My husband wanted to go back to WJ for lunch. I was not that hungry so I just got an iced coffee and settled for desert for lunch. I went back to the cabin to do some pre-packing and then we went to the We will rock you singers concert in the theatre in the afternoon, went and picked out our complementary diamond photos ( a perk I sometimes forget to take advantage of), and then we went to hear the Royal swedes pan in the music hall at 4pm. I thought the band was really outstanding, and I went back to hear them play from 10-12pm again that night. I am really glad I decided to get the DX this cruise because of the itinerary with Cococay, and the fact that we had so many sea days and stayed on the ship in both Nassau and port Canaveral. Yesterday was day 8 though, so I was feeling drink fatigued. I started off easy with mostly champagne. :), and then had my usual glass of wine # 490 ( an Italian red) with dinner and 2 lemon drop martini's later while listening to the band. I found it super easy to get our money's worth outside of diamond hours on this cruise, but I am on the fence about it for the RCL blog New Year's 2020 cruise because of the port packed itinerary. I think we will just try to get buy with our diamond drinks, 2 bottles of wine, and will probably do chef's table on new year's eve. We stopped by the diamond lounge per usual for some snacks and a pre-dinner cocktail. Most of the week, we set with another family in the extended lounge area roped off in the music hall. It came with some entertainment, ( unfortunately most of the time the entertainment was family karaoke. :). We prefer my time dining because with just 2 of us, we can usually get through dinner quickly in just over an hour. For most of the week, we were set at the same table. Unfortunately on Thursday night, we made a later reservation because of a scheduled show, and we were set in a different area. Last night, we went at our usual time of 5:30, but Unforunately, the table we had been sitting at for most of the week was already o ccupied. I understand this is not unusual in MTD, but it is still disappointment when you have established a relationship with a particular wait staff team. The assistant waiter saw us when the performed the Goodbye song that evening and both he and the waiter came by our table to say goodbye. Last night was my favorite meal of the cruise. I love the lamb chops served with the mint sauce. :). For an appetizer I got the asian pork tacos. They were great, and were almost exactly like eating an asian pork bun like you would find in China town in most cities. For desert I got cheesecake, and my husband got the tres leches. More to come. I will blog from the beginning to share more details of our really fantastic and relaxing week! IMG_8472.HEIC

I'm not colorblind but I was always under the impression that color blindness caused certain colors to be diminished or appear to be a different color. Maybe red appears yellow while blue is blue sort of thing. However there remains the concept of levels of light intensity even absent of all color. In grayscale the intensity or brightness of an open window versus a tinted window versus the double tinting effect of the open window overlapped with the fixed tinted window creates at least three shade levels. An open window would appear much brighter than the fixed tinted glass and where the tinted window was slid over the fixed tinted glass next to it that double tinting is evident even in grayscale. Then there are the other senses. The movement of air through an open window is undeniable. Wind against the massive sides of a building or ship exerts pressure and when it finds an opening such as a window air moves through the window. This effect occurs even on a relatively still day. The sounds of a busy port like forklifts loading luggage, trucks moving around, the beep, beep, beep of backup alarms on various equipment, dock workers yelling at each to be heard over all the noises of a busy dock. All that sound isn't heard on the pool deck except if you are near an open window. Put it all together, the different light intensity, the movement of air and the sounds of a busy dock when all put together are data sources that provide clues to the brain. Diminishing one sensation shouldn't prevent the conclusion that something is different, the window is open. Put on a pair of sunglass like the ones that make everything look rose colored, or everything appear bluish and you can still discern an open window from a fixed tinted pane of glass. Try holding your phone and taking a picture through the fixed tinted glass. No problem. Take a step in front of an open window and you have an involuntary reaction that causes a death grip on your phone for fear you might drop it through the open window. You don't need to tell yourself "The window is open, there is a danger". It's an involuntary reaction and awareness that there is a danger present near an open window.

Ok. Back in the room after muster drill. Resuming room recon Front door and dining table it seats 7 comfortably. 8 in a pinch, maybe. Wet bar. First time ever ! Complimentary drinks. They just kept coming and bringing more and more. Door to the second bathroom on the table. Second closet Second vanity/dressing area Inside the second bathroom Shower in second bathroom Potty in #2. Wait....that didn’t sound like what I meant to say Couch Duh Winders More winders The balcony is the one aspect where this suite falls short it is TINY compared to most SC suites. Oh you’re looking for a giant balcony, this suite is not for you Hot <damn> tub ! Right now it’s inop. Said something about the drain plug. They came to replace it once and it didn’t fit. Hopefully they’ll get it fixed soon View looking forward on the balcony. The pool deck. There is no view at all (except superstructure) looking aft Our drapes keep getting “stuck”so they are working on them

Cococay

We were originally scheduled to have Giovannis for lunch (since they closed Chops on us) but we had decided that we didn’t want to eat that big a lunch. We decided we would eat at Portside BBQ instead. THEN a huge delivery of food from Joyce and we decided to just graze on this instead. So we never really ate lunch at all. #stayflexible Honestly, it was enough food for 4 people. This happens all the time on SC so we weren’t surprised. Speaking of good, we have Coastal Kitchen rezzies at 6:00. Allegedly it is filet night. I guess we’ll find out soon !

Dan schmoozing with Super Mario He told Dan he will be on Oasis for a couple of months. His office sign has been relocated from the pool deck on NAV to the pool deck on Oasis

And somehow I evaded your camera in the suite area in the terminal...

We made it to the airport with plenty of time, but it looks like there's a delay due to a problem with one of the plane deicers. Good thing we all had Bloody Marys and a bite to eat at the airport version of the popular Mpls Hi-Lo Diner.

Good morning, to you, Daniel ! Thanks so much. It’s another beautiful Miami day !

What is the deal with the rubber ducks, I have never found one, can't say I have ever looked for one. Will,start looking, thanks for pics and info, looks like a great cuise.

I work in jeans and steel toe boots, so while I may complain a bit, I really enjoy having a reason to get dressed up with my wife. The last formal night we were at I wore a pair of dress pants, a long sleeve button up shirt, fancy shoes (that I bought for the cruise), and a tie. I had to look on YouTube while we were getting dressed to remember how to tie the tie. I clean up good. ?

Nope. They blew the swag budget on fireworks and CATS.

When at El Loco Fresh.. ...we guacamole! Now with 100% more chips than last Thanksgiving on Symphony.

Overheard in the Windjammer, "Mom, do I have to eat again?" I feel ya, kiddo.

Elevator piano guy just happened. He gets the funniest reactions. Some folks are all about it and some people are not at all amused.

Great blog! Wonderful sense of humor! Awesome writing! etc, etc...blah, blah, blah. Now get my ship back to Miami so I can board her tomorrow.

Yes ! That is me ! ??

Think of the normal airline carry on bag. That's typically a 22" or smaller suitcase. Larger suitcases will be required to be checked curbside. Having said that someone may pop and is offer how they managed to get a larger bag through security but isn't the norm and not what the boarding process is designed to handle. Walking uphill on the gangways over uneven surfaces isn't easy. If they let people bring whatever size they could cram through the xray machine it would clog up the terminal and boarding process in general. The Key is a not a means to bypass that process.

Great job, Ashley. You were a true blog sleuth and not afraid to go out of your way to report every detail. Thank you for the time and effort it takes to do that.

@Lovetocruise2002 Thanks! Can’t wait to hopefully meet some of you!

You're writing is hilarious! Thanks so much for a great review. I'm really looking forward to your Oasis cruise as we're on January 26th in Star Class also. Will be great to hear about new venues and the group of Genies on board. Wishing you an awesome cruise!!

Thanks so much for taking us all with you! I love your style and humor. You've provided so much valuable info this week and I really thank you. We will be there in Star Class on January 26th. Glad you had a great cruise!!

Thanks for the awesome blog! Can't wait to sail on Oasis in April! See ya in November.....where there better be some inaugural swag!!!

We will be on her right before you sail...if you need any info or pics...let me know.

Just a reminder that we are kicking you off the ship tomorrow, in case you didn't get the message.

Time to check out how the other half lives..and by that I mean folks who like the sun and don't have skin that sparkles in sunlight. Living his best life...

::::: edited for the sake of my reputation points here :::::

Finally heeded the siren's call... people always ask if they can use Starbucks gift cards on board. I always tell them yes, they accept the Starbucks gift cards and also the app. You can't redeem any stars though, but you will collect stars for your purchase. I had to make sure I had the most up to date intel. For purely research purposes They keep the good stuff behind the counter! ?

I actually followed and understood The Gift and didn't understand why everyone else didn't get it. Not that it made sense but I saw where they were going with it..and I am sure there are folks who followed along with CATS just fine. I mean it's a Broadway hit for a reason, right? Not everyone needed to turn to the Internet for the Cliffs Notes. https://www.polygon.com/2019/7/18/20696129/cats-2019-musical-trailer-explained This is probably the most informative piece I uncovered in the depths of the internet that summarizies the play and talks about the upcoming movie. Perhaps the last sentence of this capture from the above article should be a PSA? Makes a little more sense now having read this..but perhaps Royal should have gone with a musical that's a little more straight from the package, press play and everyone enjoys as is Hairspray, Grease, and Mamma Mia. I think maybe the lack of dialogue does it for me. I have a bit of trouble understanding lyrics when I can't read them. I want so much to like it because the sets, costuming, and performers were really amazing but it was a struggle to follow along and stay awake because of that for me. Do not sit on an aisle seat. You have been forewarned.

Well that was just about the best filet I've ever eaten at 8am in my bed on a cruise ship.

Royal nailed everything here. The sets and costumes were great. All of the actors and actresses did a good job. Singing and dancing was excellent. It appears to be updated and modern. As for condensing from the original, I know musicals are supposed to be about music and have songs but this entire show was song after song. There really was no in between the songs points which could have helped someone unfamiliar with the musical figure out what is going on. (Spoiler alert: a cat dies.) I had to Google it to make sure I wasn't missing something. I followed The Gift on Anthem better than this. I'd like to think that's on Andrew Lloyd Webber and not Royal though.

Lobster ? night on Rhapsody!

We successfully completed the mission and launched our rocket! ...with time to spare. Everyone gets a patch to commemorate the success. This activity was definitely one of the more worthwhile things I've paid for on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Are your friends taking applications for additional friends?